From farm to table, Claire's Restaurant and Bar emphasizes local and sustainable produce, artisan products, and responsible business practices that support our communities. From Hardwick, Vermont, an open philosophy inspired by the flavors and cooking of the world.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Local Food: Is there a better way to end your meal than a chocolatey, luscious and smooth pot de crème, a French version of pudding that we prepare and serve in a little glass "pot?" This disarmingly simple dessert is made with few ingredients- Steven uses just the finest fair trade chocolate, Butterworks Farm cream, and eggs from Applecheek Farm. Because of its simplicity and the proportion of eggs, the pudding sets loosely, and so it is traditionally served in a small pot, which gives the dessert its name, "pot of cream" in English. Baked to perfection for that layer of comforting skin on top, Steven adds a dollop of whipped cream and a bit of chocolate cookie for some crunch.

Around the Galaxy: With April approaching, get ready for the Galaxy event season to begin. Mark your calendars for April 19th when we welcome Baron Wormser in celebration of his new book Impenitent Notes. We have many great events already booked, and more are in the works. Stay up to date on www.galaxybookshop.com.

Music Notes: Hometown favorites The Butterbeans are back! Come down Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 for some mud season merry making.

Local Events: A Benefit Concert for Heartbeet Lifesharing will be held Friday, April 1 at 7:30 at UVM Davis Center in Burlington. The UVM Hit Paws Co-Ed A Cappella group will perform along with other groups from Boston. For more information or tickets, contact Heartbeet at 802-472-3285 or ingrid@heartbeet.org.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Each of us at Claire's extends a big thank you to everyone who came for dinner and music last Thursday in support of Pete's Greens and Vermont agriculture. Appreciation especially to the musicians who contributed their considerable talent to a spirited evening as this photo from the Burlington Free Press conveys.

Local Food: With the arrival of spring and the promised end of cold weather in sight, it is almost time to dig out and gather around the grill. While we wait for more snow to melt, Steven is preparing grilled bratwurst to tide us over. A German staple that comes from Applecheek Farm in Hyde Park, bratwurst is made with beef and pork, a special spice blend, and some Long Trail Ale. We serve the bratwurst with a rich potato gratin made from Deep Root Organic Cooperative potatoes, from Johnson, and Bonnieview Farm's grassy and nutty Mossend Blanc cheese. Steven adds the traditional accompaniment for bratwurst -- mustard -- to caramelized onions for another layer of flavor. A whipped Rabbi's Roots horseradish cream tops the dish for the final kick.

Music Notes: Boston based acoustic/folk duoTall Heights join us this Thursday, March 24 at 7:30. Don't miss their captivating vocal harmonies and folk-inspired accompaniment of cello and acoustic guitar.

Local Events: Sterling College hosts a comprehensive, full day workshop on "Bringing your Product to Market: Specialty Food Product Development." Experts Cathy Bacon and Molly Creelman will discuss a variety of topics related to selling your products on Wednesday, March 23 from 8:30-4:30. RSVP to Heidi Krantz at 472-5840 or hkrantz@vtsbdc.org

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Go Green for Pete's Greens: Celebrate Ireland with us on St. Patrick's Day, when our Thursday Music Night goes "open mic night" to benefit Pete's Greens. Come by for Steven's version of corned beef, raise a pint of Rock Art Brewery's new Pete's Greens Barn Raising Brown Ale, and our proceeds go to Pete's Greens and then on to the newly formed Vermont Farm Fund. Wear your finest greens, bring some extra greens in your wallet, enjoy drink specials and show off your talent in support of Northern Vermont agriculture. We are excited to be a part of this effort and hope you will join us on Thursday. If you are interested in performing at the Open Mic, there is still space available - email us at newvermontcooking@yahoo.com.

Around the Galaxy: A world of reading awaits you at the Galaxy, as two highlights from the week demonstrate. Galaxy is well stocked with The Warmth of Other Suns, which won the National Book Critics Circle award this week after being a favorite of Galaxy readers for several months. And we just received a companion volume to the Galaxy bestseller The Backyard Homestead, Guide to Raising Farm Animals, which includes a full-color at-a-glance breed guide to the animals. Stop in to see these books and lots more!

Local Events: Vermont's 10th Annual Maple Open House Weekend is this Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20. This is a great opportunity to visit local sugarhouses and watch maple syrup being made. Sweet Stone Maple Farm in Hardwick will be open, and local favorites The Butterbeans will play bluegrass beginning at 2:00.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Local Food: A favorite and often requested dish among Claire's newcomers and regulars alike,Steven's falafels give us a taste of the Middle East. Traditionally made with fava beans or chickpeas, Steven instead grinds much anticipated black beans from Butterworks Farm, whose crew has the labor intensive job of cleaning and drying the beans. Preserved red peppers from Pete's Greens and onions from Sandiwood Farm in Wolcott are added along with rosemary, sage, oregano and thyme from Vermont Herb & Salad Company. In keeping with custom, he adds the flavors of coriander and cumin. Dried jalapeno peppers from Steven's garden add a kick of heat. The falafel balls are fried to crispy perfection and served with a duo of sauces, one of mint infused Honey Gardens honey and Butterworks yogurt, and the other a spicy carrot sauce, with carrots from Blackwell Roots. The falafel is vegan, and can be served with only the spicy carrot sauce to keep the dish vegan friendly. Sprouts from Peace of Earth Farm top the dish.

We are fortunate and thankful to live in such a fertile area populated by creative and hardworking people who are eager to demonstrate that Vermont can feed itself. Neighbors knock on our door with baskets full of produce, willing to share their bounty with Steven, Claire's and the community. Olde Barn Farm in East Hardwick grows mesclun and put up roasted tomato preserves, Mary McGrath called with 60 pounds of sunchokes, Sue Holmes sold us three Hubbard squash and Too Little Farm made a dinner reservation and brought with them banana fingerling potatoes. Knowing that Pete's Greens has provided many of the ingredients that comprise the menu at Claire's, people have asked how we are continuing to buy as much local food as Pete's provided before the barn fire. The answer is that our area is teeming with growers and producers who support Claire's mission, and we are eager to support them too.

Music Notes:Blue Fox returns this Thursday, March 10 at 7:30. Don't miss his "deep-lazy-growly-sexy" vocals and his "ultra-strength" guitar playing.

Go Green for Pete's Greens: On St. Patrick's Day, Claire's hosts an open mic celebration to benefit Pete's Farm Fund, to rebuild the barn and help Pete and his crew. Celebrate the day by wearing your finest greens, bring some extra greens in your wallet, and show off your talent in support of Pete's. Pete recently announced that in 2-3 years, when his farm is back on stable financial ground, he will repay the money raised to support Pete's Greens to a special fund to support Vermont agriculture and farms in crisis. We're excited to be part of this effort and hope you will join us on March 17th. Email newvermontcooking@yahoo.com if you are interested in performing. If you want to make a more immediate financial donation to Pete's Greens, stop by Claire's and drop it in our donation bucket or go directly to the farm website.

Local Events: Next Monday, March 14 from 4-6, Claire's will host an art opening featuring the work of Merill Densmore, who worked with the GRACE program beginning in 1994. He was born in 1943 and was raised in the Northeast Kingdom, inspiring many of his pieces that depict the Vermont landscape.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

Claire's - Local Ingredients, Open to the World

In Hardwick, Vermont, Claire's Restaurant and Bar offers a warm and comfortable environment, the best meals in the area, and live music.
Claire's owner, Linda Ramsdell, also owner of the Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick for more than 15 years, provides a home for writers and booklovers locally and is a leader in the independent booksellers movement. Veronica Medwid manages the dining room and welcomes you to Claire's.